Is it allowed to edit images marked as editorial on stock photography sites? The main content of the photo is a building and I just want to remove distracting elements like drainage wells and trashcans, which in a way ruin the composition.

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2 Answers
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The type of image makes no difference as to whether you can edit it. That will be determined by the terms of contract when you purchased the image.

First, you would have to be granted the right to make copies. Then the edits would have to be minor so as to only be considered an edited copy and not a derivative work/copy. Or you would have to be also granted the right to make derivative copies.

Or the edits would have to be so significant, and the usage of the image so minor in terms of the overall new work for it to be considered fair use (as an element in your own new work, which would qualify for its' own copyright protections).

There is a third copyright consideration of the edits being considered harmful/detrimental to the original author... under EU/UK laws that is an automatic "moral rights" protection. In the U.S. it only applies to limited editions of less than 200 copies/prints (VARA).

The wording/terms I used are somewhat specific to US copyright laws, but the concepts apply pretty uniformally among all parties of the Berne Convention.

Edited to add:
There is no such thing as an "editorial image," there is only editorial usage of an image... an image labeled as editorial indicates the acceptable/licensed usage. It generally means that they do not have the rights/waivers required/transferable to you for commercial (advertising) type usage of the image. I.e. a property release.

The funny thing there is that the use of the photo may not actually require a property release; but since you've purchased the image with the understanding/contractual restriction of editorial use only, you still can't use it commercially.

Share — copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format
for any purpose, even commercially.

but

No Derivatives — If you remix, transform, or build upon the material, you may not distribute the modified material.

This license allows you to redistribute, and the fine print on "no derivatives" clarifies that you can change format without creating a derivative under the terms. But you couldn't "remove distractions" or anyhting like that.

The interesting question would be, for publishing online: Would obscuring the distraction with another layered-on image be distributing a modified version? :)
– rackandbonemanAug 12 at 15:48

@rackandboneman That is very arguably a derived work. The CC site has some guidance on that, but I think ultimately it would come down to the courts. Better to stay clear and only use images where you have modification rights if you want to do anything but present them in their entirity.
– mattdmAug 12 at 15:51